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I’m sure you’ve heard it all before but how often do players come along with a clear goal and a realistic picture of how to get there? The typical mindset when it comes to game improvement is to fix it when it’s broken and nothing more, how many of you run your car this way? Some do I’m sure and that’s ok with me, we all have different circumstances but most of us maintain our cars to keep them working well. Some car fans may seek to improve their cars, to make them faster, better handling or just look better (although to me that’s silly, if you want a cool looking car just buy one, don’t bolt a fast and furious spoiler onto it and expect the chicks to dig it).

I give a lot of initial consultations, the lesson I posted last week is one of those, the performance jump was huge and the client left very happy. Will I see him again? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe the improvement was enough for him to go away and be convinced he has it, although we set a parameter for when he should return only time will tell. You see it has much more to do with mindset, for a while I used to have clients fill out a questionnaire which identified their mindset. I’m interested in a growth mindset and while I wouldn’t turn anyone away who didn’t match up I wouldn’t hold out much hope of seeing them again no matter how good the lesson was.

This player has a growth mindset, we are five sessions in (we work in two hour blocks) and the change in his swing is significant. The swing performance has shifted from double figures in to out path numbers to somewhere close to zero, the misses are dramatically reduced and he has motivation back to play. This is a player who was on the verge of giving up but his mindset was such that he committed to a plan, his desire for growth is such that I can’t keep him away for long, what should have been a 3-4 week gap between sessions became 2 this time. It allowed us to make one more change that helped facilitate the previous, now it’s fast becoming an action that I enjoy watching a great deal and am as proud of the player as he should be of himself.

Here’s a before and after to show what progress can be made with the right attitude, application and commitment to building a working relationship. The thing is that no one has all the answers and it's easy for a player to believe that someone somewhere should. I'm perfectly happy to admit that I don't have all the answers but when I don't I'll find one or I'll find someone that does, without a consistent relationship I wouldn't be afforded the opportunity to do that.

As coaches we live and die by the success of our clients, considering the number of factors involved in success of which mindset is only one this outlook might need re-aligning.

So how do you develop a growth mindset or help your clients to develop one? Here’s a 25 point list I found that you might be able to pick some useful strategies out of, you'll need the relationship to be afforded the opportunity though:

1. Acknowledge and embrace imperfections.

Hiding from your weaknesses means you’ll never overcome them.

2. View challenges as opportunities.

Having a growth mindset means relishing opportunities for self-improvement.

3. Try different learning tactics.

There’s no one-size-fits-all model for learning. What works for one person may not work for you.

4. Follow the research on brain plasticity.

The brain isn’t fixed; the mind shouldn’t be either.

5. Replace the word “failing” with the word “learning.”

When you make a mistake or fall short of a goal, you haven’t failed; you’ve learned.

6. Stop seeking approval.

When you prioritise approval over learning, you sacrifice your own potential for growth.

7. Value the process over the end result.

Intelligent people enjoy the learning process, and don’t mind when it continues beyond an expected time frame.

8. Cultivate a sense of purpose.

Dweck’s research also showed that students with a growth mindset had a greater sense of purpose. Keep the big picture in mind.

9. Celebrate growth with others.

If you truly appreciate growth, you’ll want to share your progress with others.

10. Emphasise growth over speed.

Learning fast isn’t the same as learning well, and learning well sometimes requires allowing time for mistakes.

11. Reward actions, not traits.

Tell students when they’re doing something smart, not just being smart.

12. Redefine “genius.”

The myth’s been busted: genius require hard work, not talent alone.

13. Portray criticism as positive.

You don’t have to used that hackneyed term, “constructive criticism,” but you do have to believe in the concept.

14. Dissassociate improvement from failure.

Stop assuming that “room for improvement” translates into failure.

15. Provide regular opportunities for reflection.

Let students reflect on their learning at least once a day.

16. Place effort before talent.

Hard work should always be rewarded before inherent skill.

17. Highlight the relationship between learning and “brain training.”

The brain is like a muscle that needs to be worked out, just like the body.

18. Cultivate Grit.

Students with that extra bit of determination will be more likely to seek approval from themselves rather than others.

19. Abandon the image.

“Naturally smart” sounds just about as believable as “spontaneous generation.” You won’t achieve the image if you’re not ready for the work.

20. Use the word “yet.”

Dweck says “not yet” has become one of her favourite phrases. Whenever you see students struggling with a task, just tell them they haven’t mastered it yet.

21. Learn from other people’s mistakes.

It’s not always wise to compare yourself to others, but it is important to realise that humans share the same weaknesses.

22. Make a new goal for every goal accomplished.

You’ll never be done learning. Just because your midterm exam is over doesn’t mean you should stop being interested in a subject. Growth-minded people know how to constantly create new goals to keep themselves stimulated.

23. Take risks in the company of others.

Stop trying to save face all the time and just let yourself goof up now and then. It will make it easier to take risks in the future.

24. Think realistically about time and effort.

It takes time to learn. Don’t expect to master every topic under the sun in one sitting.

25. Take ownership over your attitude.

Once you develop a growth mindset, own it. Acknowledge yourself as someone who possesses a growth mentality and be proud to let it guide you throughout your educational career.

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Back in December I presented some information at a seminar in the UK on my research into high performance wedge play and was asked a question to which I didn’t have the answer. I didn’t shy away from the fact I didn’t know because the kind of person I am is summed up by a quote from one of my favourite films, The Pursuit of Happyness.

“Um, I'm the type of person that if you ask me a question and I don't know the answer, I'm gonna tell you that I don't know. But I bet you what, I know how to find the answer and I will find the answer.”

I’m of the belief that we shouldn’t pretend to know it all nor believe it and be prepared to work harder to know more.

The person who asked the question turned out to be the same person who would be an integral part of answering it. Jason Macniven is the owner/operator of Golf Principles, a superb club fitting facility in Basingstoke who I know is as inquisitive and ready to figure things out as I am.

The question concerned the influence of wedge shafts on performance, not the outcomes alone but the actual influence on motion of the player and the associated outcomes and limitations resulting from that motion. To put it into some kind of context I do not teach a single style of wedge play but rather classify players into particular styles which fall onto a spectrum of sorts, from one extreme to another and everything inbetween. Isolating any components which may belong to a different style and adjusting them and nothing more makes what I do appear extremely simple to players which is crucial.

But what if the equipment in their hands makes it more difficult for them to achieve a high level of functionality? I would describe it as trying to fight with an invisible opponent, one you don’t even realise it there until it’s been pointed out to you. It’s a fight you might be able to avoid being beaten in but you will never win it unless you get lucky. I don’t like relying on luck to change things so why would anyone else!

We conducted testing last week at Magnolia Park using the GEARS (3D) system which measures both club and body, this means we can look at how the behavior of the club and player correlate with each other. Essential if we were to find the answers we wanted.

Day one had us excited, we saw an acceleration in student progress that neither of us anticipated. The process went something like this: First we would ask the player to hit some shots with their own wedge to gather some ball flight data, we would then use GEARS to identify their swing tendencies and any adjustments I considered necessary. Before explaining these changes and the need for them we would simply change the club type they were using to something that we considered to be more suited to the motion they should be making. Every player showed signs of changing in a positive manner before any technical input was added, we had removed the invisible opponent. Imagine how much easier it was to then explain the change and have them demonstrate it!

In much the same way as certain putter styles suit certain players perceptions and motions, wedge set up is just as individual. While we would never set hard, fast rules with regards to matching shaft type, head weight, style etc to technique there are undoubtedly guidelines. Information that will make the life of the player and the coach much easier.

This is going to seem like somewhat of a tease but we need to decide how to best disseminate this information, we are in no doubt it will change the wedge game for many.

“But I bet you what, I know how to find the answer and I will find the answer.”

The question was asked in late December, by the end of February we have some answers. Not bad eh?

Date

December 02 2014

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Whenever you're researching something the larger sample size the better. In order to continue pushing my wedge research forwards for one of my hypotheses I need more data so am calling upon anyone with access to Trackman to provide an assist.

Here's what I'm after:

A series of shots hit to targets at 30,40,50,60,70 yards, 4 at each distance so 20 in total.

I'd like the Carry, Club Speed, Ball Speed, Spin Rate, Launch Angle and Smash Factor from the available data.

Along with that the level of the player and their chosen wedge (it needs to be the same one ideally) and any other details you feel appropriate.

Anyone who can assist will receive the findings from the information first and additionally become an officially great person.